Delaware’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced their new app on September 19. It’s called Delaware Force 1-2. The information you provide is sent to the Delaware Information and Analysis Center — Delaware’s Fusion Center.
“Delawareans can now use their smartphones to help protect the First State from possible threats related to terrorist activity . . . In addition, users can choose to make their report anonymously or can include contact information for follow-up by law enforcement,” the release stated.
“This is a quick and easy way for citizens to help us protect our communities and we encourage them to utilize this new app to report any suspicious activity. With this app, our citizens can serve as extra eyes and ears for our law enforcement community,” said Lewis D. Schiliro, Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security.
Delaware isn’t the first state to have an app like this. West Virginia has one too. The app is available via Google Play and the Apple App Store.
It’s Hardly Anonymous
I have an Android and I was going to download the app to review it — until I saw the “permissions.” Now, it actually isn’t as bad as some of the apps out there that record your phone calls, constantly monitor your location, read texts, etc. But for a program that says you can remain anonymous, it’s a bit laughable.
Here’s some of what it can do:
- If your camera or camcorder is on, it can take photos or video and send them to the fusion center. Even if you aren’t snapping photos just yet, or recording.
- Pinpoint your location using GPS.
- Allows it to put files on your phone or SD card.
- Disable your GPS
Google does issue some warnings about what it could do if the developer has malicious intent. And we all know DHS doesn’t have any of that, right?
